Yoga for beginners
Practising yoga can provide both physical and mental wellbeing benefits. Yoga can build strength, awareness, and harmony in both your body and mind. It’s also great for your flexibility and a good way to build physical activity into your weekly routine. There are so many kinds of yoga, making it possible for anyone to get started and experience the benefits this practice has to offer. If you’re new to yoga, give this beginners yoga sequence a go!
Note: If you have been inactive for a while, have heart disease, any other major health problems, injuries or are pregnant, please check with your GP, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist or other health professional before following this sequence.
1. Grounding pose (connect with your breath)
Recommended Repetitions: 10 breaths
- Lay on the ground or find a comfortable seated position. Relax your body. Close your eyes or gaze softly at something still in front of you.
- Inhale through your nose. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in and your belly button move away from your spine.
- Exhale through your nose. Feel your belly contract and your belly button draw in toward your spine.
- Repeat this deep belly breathing for 10 breaths. Focus on relaxing your body further with every exhale, tuning into your body and quietening your mind.
2. Cat & Cow
Recommended Repetitions: 5 breaths
- Come onto your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. If you have sensitive knees, you may like fold over your mat or place a blanket under your knees.
- Tuck your toes under your feet for extra stability.
- Engage your core by slightly pulling your belly button in toward your spine.
- Inhale and drop your belly down toward the ground, creating an arch in your back. Look forwards. This is ‘Cow’ pose.
- Exhale and round your spine in the opposite direction, drawing your belly button in toward your spine, tucking your chin into your chest. This is ‘Cat’ pose.
- Repeat this Cat/Cow movement for 5 breaths, moving with your inhale and exhale.
3. Downward Dog
Recommended Repetitions: 5 breaths
- Kneeling on your hands and knees, open your fingers wide and grip them down into your mat.
- Shuffle your knees back a couple of centimetres, with your toes tucked under. Engage your core.
- Push into your hands, lift your knees off the ground, and float your hips into the air. Bend your knees to facilitate pushing your weight back towards your feet. Press down into your hands and fingers evenly.
- Point your sit bones (your bottom) toward the sky, while hugging in your low belly.
- Keep your head in line with your body, looking down at the ground or at the level of your knees.
- Without moving your hips or hands, see if you can slowly start to straighten your legs and lower your heels to the ground. It’s OK if they can’t reach the floor – it’s more important to have length in your spine.
- Your whole body should feel active in Downward Dog. Stay for 5 breaths.
- SUGGESTION: For the first Downward Dog of your sequence, it may feel nice to peddle your feet up and down to warm up. Bend your right knee and rise to your right toes as you straighten your left leg and push your left heel down toward the ground. Then repeat on opposite side, continuing with this peddling action for a few breaths.
4. Open Twist
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths
- From Downward Dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Lower your left knee to the ground. (If you have sensitive knees, place a blanket underneath it). Keep your left toes tucked under for stability.
- Come onto the fingertips of your left hand. To make this easier, place your left hand on a yoga block or some stacked books for more height.
- Exhale and twist your torso so it’s facing toward your right thigh. Try to keep your hips square. The twisting action comes from your spine.
- Inhale and reach your right arm to the sky. Keep your right shoulder back and your chest open. If this is too much, you can place your right hand on your right hip.
- Exhale and twist further, if that feels OK in your body. Stay in this Open Twist for 3-5 breaths.
- On your exhale, untwist and place both hands back down on the ground.
- Step your right foot back to Downward Dog. Repeat on the other side.
- After your 3-5 breaths, return to Downward Dog.
5. Warrior 2
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths
- From Downward Dog, inhale and step your right foot in between your hands, with your toes facing forward.
- Exhale and turn your back foot outward so that your toes face the long side of your mat.
- Inhale and slowly, with balance, rise up to stand.
- Bend into your front knee so that it stacks over your ankle and your back thigh is parallel to your mat. Draw your front knee outwards, toward your pinky toe.
- Keep your back leg straight and press into the outside edge (pinky toe side) of your back foot. Try and square your hips to the long side of your mat.
- Raise your arms up to shoulder height, with palms facing down. Relax your shoulders and spread your fingers out wide. Look out over your front hand.
- Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.
- Modifications for Warrior 2: For more stability, you can practice Warrior 2 against a wall, with the outer edge of your back foot pressing into the wall. If you are still working on flexibility, shorten your stance and don’t bend as deeply into your front knee.
6. Reverse Warrior
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths
- From Warrior 2 (with your right leg in front), turn your front palm up to face the sky.
- On your inhale, reach your right arm up toward the sky. At the same time, lower your back hand down to touch your back leg.
- Gently lean back, opening through the right side of your body. Gaze up toward your right hand if it is comfortable to do so.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed, chest lifted and your body evenly distributed between your feet (ie don’t lean too far forward).
- Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Return to Warrior 2.
- Modifications for Reverse Warrior: For more stability, practice this pose against a wall, with the outer edge of your back foot pressing into the wall. If you are working on your flexibility, shorten your stance and don’t bend as deeply into your front knee.
7. Extended Side Angle
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths
- From Warrior 2 (with right leg in front), bring your left hand to your left hip.
- Keep your body facing the long side of your mat. Inhale and bring your right elbow to your right thigh, leaning your torso forward. Open your right palm to the sky.
- Exhale and raise your left arm overhead so that your bicep is next to your ear. Your left palm is facing towards the ground.
- Gaze either straight ahead or up towards the sky, whichever is more comfortable.
- Draw your right shoulder down away from your ear. Do this by pushing into your right elbow and lifting up out of the pose. Aim for one straight diagonal line from your back foot to the tip of your top hand.
- Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Return to Warrior 2.
- Modifications for Extended Side Angle: For more stability, you can practice Extended side angle against a wall, with the outer edge of your back foot pressing into the wall. If you are still working on flexibility, shorten your stance and don’t bend as deeply into your front knee.
8. Downward Dog (again)
Recommended Repetitions: 5 breaths
- From Warrior 2, place both hands down on your mat on either side of your front foot. Step your front leg back, returning to Downward Dog.
- Open your fingers wide and press them down into the mat, rather than pressing into the heel of your palms, to help reduce pressure in your wrists.
- Keep your head straight, looking down at the ground. Your ears should be in line with your biceps.
- Without moving your hips or hands, see if you can slowly start to straighten your legs and lower your heels to the ground. It’s OK if they can’t reach the floor – it’s more important to have length in your spine.
- Stay for 5 breaths, before repeating Warrior 2, Reverse Warrior, and Extended Side Angle on the left side.
9. Reclined Twist
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths on both sides
- Lay down on your back.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Opens your arms out along the ground, in line with your shoulders, to form a T shape.
- Lift your feet off the mat, drawing your knees in towards your chest. Keeping your knees and feet together, drop your legs over to the right-hand side.
- If your legs don’t comfortably reach the ground, place a yoga block or folded blanket under your knees to lessen the twist in your spine.
- Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.
- Slowly draw your knees back up to centre and drop them over to the other side. Hold for another 3 to 5 breaths.
10. Happy Baby
Recommended Repetitions: 3-5 breaths
- Laying on your back, bring your knees in towards your chest.
- Bring your arms in between your knees. Reach for the outside edge (pinky toe side) of your feet with your hands. If this is not available, reach for your ankles or calves instead.
- Turn the soles of your feet up to face the sky, flexing your feet.
- Take an inhale and open your feet out wide. As you exhale, draw your knees down toward your armpits, pressing your low back into the mat.
- It may feel nice to rock gently side to side, or you might prefer to stay still.
- Stay in Happy Baby for 3 to 5 breaths.
11. Savasana (final resting pose)
Recommended Repetitions: Stay for 5 minutes or longer
- Extend your legs out straight.
- Place your arms down by your side, slightly away from your waist. Open your palms to the sky.
- Close your eyes or find a soft gaze above you.
- Connect with your breath. Stay here for 5 minutes or longer if you have some extra time. Start to relax and feel the effects of your practice wash over you.
- Try and take this feeling of relaxation and mindfulness with you through the rest of your day.
